Saturday 24th January 2004 - Newlandsfield Park. West of Scotland Premier League. Att: 500
Pollok 1 (0) Pollok were given a quick chance to gain revenge on Cumnock for the thrashing dished out in late 2003 at Townhead Park but that was not the way this game went, despite experienced veteran forward George Shaw being given his debut upfront as a trialist. In only seven minutes, the visitors were ahead when STEVE MCCULLOCH was brought down by Martin Baker inside the area and Mr Law did not hesitate in pointing to the spot, with the fouled player converting with comfort.
Cumnock 1 (1)
Pollok scorer: Martin McLauchlan 69

Cumnock scorer: Steve McCulloch (p) 7


George Shaw gets a taste of Junior football

A series of niggly fouls littered the game thereafter with firm decisive action needed to stamp it out, and when that doesn't happen, it almost always means a knock-on later on. There was one major flare-up just before the hour mark when Shaw was kicked on the ground prompting a melee that could have seen players from either side sent off.


Pollok equalised in th 69th minute in controversial fashion when MARTIN MCLAUCHLAN drilled a shot across former Pollok farmour Graeme Potter that was hacked off the line onto the bar and back into play, but credit to the very young assistant referee to bravely give the goal and stick to his guns. A number of Cumnock players and coaching staff then showed themselves in a poor light by trying to physically get at the young assistant, though only one booking was picked up as a result.


Martin McLauchlan is tightly marked

Martin Nelson on the ball

As the heated events boiled over, notorious hothead Cumnock substitute Steve McQuade appeared and then quickly disappeared after he was spotted stamping on Raymond Logan off the ball. It was not the worst incident of the day but sometimes a players reputation proceeds him. The draw was a fair result though Cumnock's brand of physical football is thankfully a rarity in the 21st century.
Pollok: Wilson, Sweeney, O'Neil, Aitchison, Heaton, Baker, Shaw (sub 62 for McPhee), Logan, McLauchlan, Nelson, McMenamin (sub 62 for Sweeney). Not used: D. McWilliams, Crozier, Proctor.
booked: O'Neil 11, McLauchlan 58, Baker 75
Cumnock: Potter, Jack, Gardiner, Lynch, McGowan (sub 81 for Jeffrey), Walker (sub 67 for McQuade), Paterson, Black, Kerr, Dempster (sub 41 for Glancy), McCulloch. Not used: McDermott, Thomson.
booked: Walker 58, Kerr 66, Paterson 70, Gardiner 90
sent off: McQuade 90
Saturday 10th January 2004 - Brig O' Lea Stadium. West of Scotland Premier League. Att: 300
Neilston 1 (1) A typhoon engulfed Brig O' Lea at points during this watery West Premier clash, but despite the conditions Pollok managed to get back to winning ways with some superb individual performances along the way. With injuries hitting hard and Mario Pacitti having signed for Kilbirnie Ladeside, Ronnie Lowrie had to reshuffle his pack considerably.
Pollok 3 (2)
Neilston scorer: Johnny Walker 27

Pollok scorers: Martin McLauchlan 8, 83, David Hamilton 22


Martin McLauchlan celebrates the opener

Pollok took an early lead through MARTIN MCLAUCHLAN with a fine goal when with 8 minutes elapsed he drew Brian Hewitt at the angle of his area, flicked the ball beyond him then from a very tight angle fired the ball back across goal and over the line. Fortune favoured Pollok in 22 minutes when they doubled the lead as the match official waved aside home shouts for dangerous play by DAVID HAMILTON who took three flicks to lose a man and controlled the ball with sytle before slamming it past Hewitt from relatively close range.


Perhaps in mind of his earlier decision, the referee gave Neilston the rub of the green not long after. With 27 minutes played, Chris Sweeney put in a tackle in the area on Gary Wilson that was deemed a foul despite not one appeal from Neilston for a penalty. Ex-Rangers and Hamlton Accies striker JOHNNY WALKER converted. Pollok faded thereafter in the first half and Ian Wilson made a couple of vital saves towards the end of the half as Neilston tried to find an equaliser.
Hamilton takes the plaudits for his goal

Supporter John McCafferty sends a screen grab of the McDonald tackle 		The second half erupted in the 61st minute, though to be fair the ref was not clamping down on petty fouls and frustration was palpably building. This manifested itself in a dreadful 'tackle' by Ryan McDonald on Kevin O'Neil when he launched himself straight onto the Lok skipper's shin. McDonald's game was rightly over and he found himself wandering prematurely in the pavilion's direction.

The outstanding David Hamilton

Pollok began to dominate as the extra man helped in the tiring conditions. David Hamilton emerged as the lynchpin of almost every Lok move, and could well have added to his tally after running the Farmers Boys defence ragged. In the 83rd minute Pollok did add to the scoreline when MARTIN MCLAUCHLAN heased in from a corner after Heaton missed in the first place. 3-1 was how it finished and if Neilston's three performances against Lok in 03-04 are anything to go by, they'll be second bottom this season rather than second top.
Neilston: Hewitt, Harvey, Connachan, Urquhart, Fallen (sub 38 for Johnstone, sub 70 for Bryers), Wilson, McKee (sub 45 for ?), Murdoch, McDonald, Walker, Cochrane.
booked: Connachan 55, Murdoch 90
sent off: McDonald 61
Pollok: Wilson, Sweeney, O'Neil, Aitchison, Heaton, Baker, Hamilton, Logan, McLauchlan, Proctor (sub 54 for McPhee), McMenamin (sub 71 for Sturrock). Not used: D. McWilliams, Nelson.
booked: Baker 52
Saturday 3rd January 2004 - Newlandsfield Park. West of Scotland Premier League. Att: 317
Pollok 1 (0) First footers Johnstone Burgh had their hopes of avoiding relegation boosted with a win that takes them away from the bottom of the table, though Pollok now sink into third place behind Arthurlie and Kilwinning Rangers. With Derek Heaton, Martin Nelson and Brendan Crozier all returning to the starting line-up and Raymond Logan on the bench, hopes were raised that Lok could start the new year on a high, but it proved not to be.
Johnstone Burgh 2 (1)
Pollok scorer: Kevin Proctor 64

Johnstone Burgh scorer: Gary McKenna 33, 75 (pen)


Derek Heaton made a welcome return

Johnstone were marginally the better side throughout and passed up a few opportunities to wrap up the game before half time, but all they had to show for their efforts was a GARY MCKENNA goal that arrived in the 33rd minute when he pounced upon some uncharacteristically sloppy play from David Hamilton before drilling a low deflected shot beyond Ian Wilson.


Pollok levelled in 64 minutes through substitute KEVIN PROCTOR with a back post header following a fine McPhee cross from the right. Burgh wrapped up the points in the 75th minute though when McFadden collapsed rather theatrically in the area for a penalty that Mr Sweeney gave without hesitation and GARY MCKENNA converted with calm. Ex Lok midfielder Mark Sherry had a goal chalked off rather harshly late on but 2-1 was how it finished.

Burgh try to add to their tally in the second half

Chris Wozencroft watches as McKenna's penalty beats Wilson

One vaguely interesting point of note was that when Kevin O'Neil and Martin Nelson made way for Proctor and Raymond Logan in the 59th minute, it was the first time that O'Neil had been substituted for Lok since a game against St. Anthony's in August 2000.
Pollok: Wilson, O'Neil (sub 59 for Proctor), M. McWilliams, Aitchison, Heaton, Nelson (sub 59 for Logan), Crozier, McLauchlan, Baker, McPhee. Not used: Sturrock, Pacitti, Sweeney.
booked: McLauchlan 54, Baker 77
Johnstone Burgh: Donohoe, Campbell, Smith, Juttla, McLaren, Wozencroft, Murray, Turner, McFadden (sub 86 for Connolly), McKenna, Donnelly (sub 62 for Sherry). Not used: Armour, McKinnon, Fulton.
booked: Turner 79, Murray 81